Oil drum BBQ

Just an update on BUYING A BBQ COOKER and another humble request for assistance. Darned if I wasn't driving through South Central Los Angeles today coming back from a job, when I spotted a front yard full of beautiful shiny oil drum BBQS! I hung a very illegal U-turn, and 130 bucks later am the owner of a huge cherry red BBQ. It's like a a big shiny red fire truck waiting for me to drive it. When I asked the guy's name he said, "Sweet Daddy" like I was asking who was president. He filled my arms with oak, told me to put a few inches of sand on the bottom, and waved me off. I know this thing will take a special finesse above and beyond my previous experience. There is a second grill up top for slow smoking. Any advice?

here's what you need, elsieT-http://www.rbjb.com/rbjb/rbjbboard/

I have one that my granddad gave to me thats about 50 years out...in the backyard i won't use anything else

I built a Drum Grill two summers ago. For a first timer it came out great. It was my Pride and Joy. My Sister took it and never brought it back. I miss both the Grill and my Sister. LOL

I built a grill out of my 250 gallon heating oil drum an LOVE it.

quote:

Originally posted by goliath

I built a grill out of my 250 gallon heating oil drum an LOVE it.

Holy cow! Or pig, as the case may be. I'd love for you to post a pic of that thing.

quote:

Originally posted by C Turner Joy

quote:

Originally posted by goliath

I built a grill out of my 250 gallon heating oil drum an LOVE it.

Holy cow! Or pig, as the case may be. I'd love for you to post a pic of that thing.

On the way home from dinner tonight, at yet another BBQ place, I passed a little roadside Q place.. Saw a HUGE, what looked to be like old oil drum out in the back with the smoke a billowing.
I think I might stop by there tomorrow, and check it out.
(Rather be there in the daylight, if you catch my drift)

Congrats! I use a 500 gallon old propane tank and it delivers great food. Two things are very important. Is the heat source direct or indirect. My wood box is attached to the side of the unit so my heat source is indirect and I can easily control my temperature. A book you must buy is called "Smoke". I don't remember the authors but this book will provide you recipes and techniques that produce winning results all the time. It also explains, their opinion and shared by many, what the temperature definitions are for cold smoke, hot smoke, BBQ and grilling. Clean smoke, constant temperature and not letting your heat source go out always delivers great results if you start with good meat, rubs and sauce. I have BBQ'd pig, goat, brisket, ribs, turkey, chicken and much more and typically there is nothing left. Like you, I started with the concept of wanting to cook BBQ. The learning curve is really not too steep. Good luck and I will monitor this post and provide additional book titles when I get back to NY.

Do you ever wonder what kind of chemicals that drum held before somebody put a grill on it?

I fired mine up to 500 degrees and threw water on it therby steam cleaning it before I cooked on it. One must use caution while doing this.

ahh i wanna see some pics of them

I once saw, where at a BBQ championship cookoff, a guy (from Texas, of course) showed up with a plain old 55 gallon oil drum BBQ and took 1st prize from all the competition that showed up with their fancy mega-buck custom BBQ rigs. I loved it!

quote:

Originally posted by Twinwillow

I once saw, where at a BBQ championship cookoff, a guy (from Texas, of course) showed up with a plain old 55 gallon oil drum BBQ and took 1st prize from all the competition that showed up with their fancy mega-buck custom BBQ rigs. I loved it!

The current points leader here in Arizona uses a BDS (Big Drum Smoker) for his prize winning Que. He already has his invite to the Royal in KC, and is on the list for the draw to the Jack in Lynchburg Tenn.

Smokers do not need to be fancy, it is all in the the technique.

euclid

can you find more of the details of that book??

I collect cookbooks and books on grilling/smoking/bbqing

I have "Sublime smoke" and " Smoke & spice" "Where theres smoke theres flavor" "Holy Smoke" "still smokin" "smoke it" but nothing on just smoke.

Let me know so I can add it to my collection

I have 2 custom cookers both from 500 gallon propane tanks with offset fireboxes

sorry for the grainyness of the photo I usually dont get any photos while I am working





These come from an annual event I do in August each year, this year we will smoke over 400lbs of sausage for a 2+ hour feed.

That sure looks like the smoker I have but a newer model? A Lang out of Georgia? I'll hunt through my cooking books and suggest titles that have been helpful to me.

Both of mine are custom made by a guy in Tallahassee. FL

You tell him your specs, he builds them.

The one is nice the stacks are rotatable to blow the smoke towards the crowd (ok away from me)
can handle a full piggy, and them extras

the second can be converted to a flat top, by using a stainless insert I had fabbed for it.

I carry a small propane tank with torch attachment to get them fired up then let the wood do its magic.

Nice machines. Following are several titles that I have benefitted from. Some are good, some exceptional.

"Peace Love and Barbeque" by Mike Mills and Amy Mills Tunnicliffe

"the Smoked-Foods cookbook" by Lue & Ed Park

"Killer Ribs" by Nancy Davidson

"Legends Of Texas Barbeque Cook Book" by Robb Walsh

"Marinades Rubs Brines Cures & Glazes" by Jim Tarantino

"Complete Book Of Pork A Guide to Buying, Storing, and Cooking the World's Favorite Meat" by Bruce Aidells with Lisa Weiss

I have many other titles but these are great for the novice and the experienced pit master. Recipes, techniques, cooking times and much more. For example, the Robb Walsh book is worthy of purchase just for the recipe of Jim Goode's Barbeque Mop. That being said, this book should be a requirement for anyone doing BBQ. Enjoy

Sorry, I forgot a good one. "The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook". This is a collection of recipes submitted by members of the KCBS.